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Noah Pito in Hurungwe

Local authorities should never prioritise increasing workers’ salaries at the expense of service delivery, a Government official has said. Speaking during the handover ceremony of 26 motor-bikes to Hurungwe Rural District’s 26 councillors at a colourful ceremony held at Magunje Growth Point last Friday, out-going Mashonaland West provincial administrator Mr Mike Mazai, said it was incumbent upon every local authority in the country to respect ratepayers’ interests ahead of those for council workers.

Mr Mazai was the guest speaker at the ceremony that saw every councillor in the local authority receiving a motor- bike for easy mobility across their wards .

The motor-bikes were acquired to facilitate for the Zim-Asset initiative.

In order to make the ZimAsset initiative a success, the council earlier on resolved to buy a motor bike for each councillor to enable to service their wards.

HRDC is probably the first rural district council in the country to procure motor cycles for its councillors.

Mr Mazai said he was pleased with the way Hurungwe Rural District Council was being run.

He said among Mashonaland West councils, HRDC was one example that did not have salary arrears at the moment.

“There are some councils right away as we speak with up to three or four years’ salary arrears.

“I am happy HRDC is just one of the model councils outside that mess. It shows good organisation and good leadership,” he said.

Mr Mazai said the motorbikes were supposed to improve service delivery.